Railway car



Jan. 14, 1930. B. w. KADEL 1 ,743,144

RAILWAY CAR Filed March 19, 1924 wi tneoo Patented Jan. 14, 1930 ATET OFFICE BYERS W. KADEL, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND RAILWAY CAR Application filed March 19, 1924. Serial No. 700,242.

This invention relates to railway cars, and has as its principal object to provide an improved form of door supporting mechanism. Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of door stiffening member and cooperating door supporting mechanism. Another object is to provide means for supporting the door in a plurality of positions of closure and also to provide means for receiving a removable door-closing bar or lever by which the door may be forced shut. With such objects in view the invention consists of the formation. combination and arrangement of parts as will be herein described and finaliv claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which show a preferred form of the invention, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a 0 portion of a hopper of a railway car of the well known twin hopper type, showing one of the usual doors employed with this type of car and showing also a door supporting mechanism constructed in accordance with M theprinciplesofthepresentinvention. Figure 2isafragmentary outer face View of the door, showing also portions of the hopper and the door supporting mechanism, this view being taken in the direction of arrow A of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through the door spreader or stiffener. on the the line 33 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken through a portion of the hopper and the door, on the line 44 of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the latching member used for supporting the door. Figures 6 and 7 are respectively an end elevational view and a plan view of the same member. Figure 8 is a detailed View, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the latching member in preliminary engagement with the fixed hook or ledge member. Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 but showing the latch member in final engagement with the fixed hook.

Referring to these drawings. the side of the car, or in the present embodiment the side sheet of the hopper, is denoted by the numeral 1. The hopper is shown as furnished around its discharge opening with a stiffening'bar 2 which is secured to the side and slopesheets by means of rivets 3. For closing the hopper opening a door 4 is provided, this bein preferably a steel plate with outstanding Flanges 5 formed around the margins thereof. The door has the customary hinges such as shown at 6 for pivotally connecting it to any convenlent part of the car body so as to swing to open position under the influence of gravity. In twin hopper car construction the door extends transversely of the car and the hinge pintles are arranged with their axes transversely of the car. It has been found entirely practical to close such doors to at least a preliminary position by hand or by swinging them with the foot.

It is the practice in twin hopper car construction to separate the hopper on one side of the car center sill from the hopper on the other side thereof and when this is done the door is usually made in two sections, one for each hopper, as illustrated for example in the patent to W. E. Wine, #1,491,57 6, April 22, 1924. 'As is well known a member is commonly employed for connecting these door sections to cause them to swing as one and this member, in addition to functioning as a spreader, serves to rigidify and stiffen the door plates against forces tending to warp and distort them. While only a portion of one of the hoppers and its co-acting door is 30 disclosed in the drawings it is to be understood that the construction is duplicated on the opposite side of the car.

In the present embodiment of the invention the spreader or stiffener is preferably rolled or pressed and is generally of channel or U-shape in cross section, being formed with a web portion 9 arranged to lie in a plane spaced outwardly from and parallel with the door. From opposite edges of this portion 9 webs or main flanges 10 extend back toward the door in a direction substantially at right angles to the plane of the web. These webs or main flanges 10 are provided with small return or outstanding flanges 11 which are bent in such direction as to lie fiat against the outer face of the door, and rivets 8 pass through these return flanges and through the door plate for securing the member 7 to the latter. The stiffening member 7 terminates near or preferablyjust inside of the side flange 5 of the door and whensecured to the door as above described the open end of the member 7 pro- Vides a socket into which one end of a removable bar 12 may be inserted. This bar may bear against the outer edge of the flange 5 so that it is confined between a portion. of the member 7 and a portion of the door and may accordingly be employed as an extension from the door or from the stiffener 7 to assist in forcing the door shut. When not in use this bar will be removed as otherwise it may extend out beyond the car clearance limits.

The present im'ention provides also improved means forsupporting such doors in closed position, said means including means associated with a door stiffener of this or any other suitable character for co-operation with means carried on the car body. In the present embodiment there is affixed to the car body by means of rivet-s 13 a fiited hook member 14 having a ledge 15. This ledge is arranged slightly outwardly of the door plate when the door is in closed position. The hook or ledge member 14 is also suitably cut away to provide clearance for the operation of the bar or lever 12. For co-operation with the ledge 15 a latch member 16 is pivoted upon the stiffening member 7, the latch being preferably integrally formed with pivot trunnions 17 extending out from each side of the latch. One of these trunnions is adapted to bear within a suitable aperture formed in the web portion 9 of the stiffening member .7, the aperture being removed slightly from the outermost end of the latter. The opposite trunnion 17 is adapted to fit within a similar aperture in a pivot bracket 18 which surrounds the pivot end of the latch and is'secured to the main flanges or webs 10 of the stiffening member 7 by means of rivets 19. It will thus be seen that when the latch is assembled with the bracket 18 against the outermost face of the web of the stiffener 7 and the rivets 19 are driven, the latch is thereby firmly affixed to the stiffener 7 in such a manner that it forms in effect an extension thereof. The outer end of the latch 16 beyond the limits of the stiffener 7 is arranged to engage back of the ledge 15 to support the door. It will be noted that when pressure from the lading comes against the-interior face of the door the outermost end of the stiffening member 7 will bear against the latch 16 at 20 so that there will be but a small distance to be spanned by the latch between the end of the member 7 and the fixed hook 14 thereby minimizing bending moments in the latch.

The ledge-engaging portion of the latch 16 is formed with a plurality of ledge engaging faces 21 and 22. respectively. The first or lowermost of these is denoted. at 21 and it will be seen in Figure 8 how this ledge cooperates With the shouldered hook 14 when holding the door in full in closed position.

it is desired to hold the door in a partly closed position. The door may usually be pushed to this position by the foot. The bar 12 or other means may then be employed to force the door to a fully closed position, and the final ledge-engaging face 22 may then be. caused to engage behind the ledge 15, thereby closed position. The outer face 22 is beveledand the ledge 15 is correspondingly undercut so as to prevent the latch from accidentally working upward to unlocked position when the car is loaded. Sufficient clearance is provided between the inner face of the door and the outer end of the hopper to permit the slight inward movement necessary to allow the beveled face 22 of the latch to be released from looking engagement with the undercut face 15 of the hook member 14. This construction of.the

latch eliminates the'necessity for a separate locking cam. The outermost end of the latch 16 is also provided with a locking gib 23 that engages the side of the hook 14 to prevent relative transverse movement of the latch and hook. v

It will be noted that, due to the relative disposition of the pivot point of the latch, the end of the stiffener and fixed hook, the force reaction between the outer end of the latch and the stiffener constitutes a major part of the entire force required to support the door By mounting the latch so that it overlappingly engages an outer face of the door stifiener the latter afi'ords an abutment for the latch whereby the force reaction between the door and theouter end of the latch is distributed throughout the entire door plate and is not concentrated in localized portions thereof as would occur should the stiffener not be interposed between the latch and door. Substantially even distribution of the major portion of the force reaction in: cident to supporting the door in closed position prolongs the life of the door plate as forces tending to warp and distort it are practically eliminated. It will be appreciated also that by pivotally connecting the latch to the stiffener independently of the door plate, not only will the forces to which the outer end of the latch is subjected, be evenly distributed throughout the door plate but the forces to which the inner or pivot end of the latch is subjected will likewise be so distributed.

Mounting the latches on the stiffener independently of the door plates also enables the latches to be applied to the stiffener before the latter is secured to the door plates and permits renewal or replacement of the door plates. without the necessity of refitting or realining the door-supporting mechanism. Furthermore, as the door-supporting loads are restricted to the beam and latches, itwill be appreciated that the strength of the door plates does not enter into the strength of the door-supporting mechanism.

I have thus described a preferred embodiment of my invention. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is 1. A railway car having a door, a stiffening member secured upon the outer face thereof, and means adjacent the stiffening member for supporting the door in closed position, said stiffening member being of channel-shape and having its web spaced outwardly from the door, the web of the channel and the door comprising means adapted to receive a removable door closing member.

2. A railway car having a door, a stiffening member secured to the outer face of said door. a latch pivoted on the said stiffening member, means carried by the car body adapted for engagement by said latch to hold the door in closed position. the pivot point of said latch being slightly removed from the end of the stiffening member, the latch and stiffening member being adapted for supporting contact near the end of the stiffening member.

3. A railway car having a door, a stiffening member secured to said door, the same being of channel or U-shape in cross section, a latch pivotally associated with said stiffening member, a ledge formed on the car body adapted for supporting co-operation with said latch, the latch being arranged to lie with one face against the web portion of said channel section and to operate in a plane parallel with said web portion.

4. A railway car having a door, a latch pivoted to said door, a hook member carried by the car body having a ledge adapted for engagement by the said latch, said latch being provided with two substantially parallel locking faces one adapted to engage said ledge to hold the door in a partly closed position and the other adapted to engage same for holding the door in a fully closed position, said locking faces being spaced in a direction normal to the plane of pivotal movement of the latch.

5. A railway car having a door, a pivoted locking member and a fixed locking member adapted for engagement thereby. one of same being mounted upon the car body and other upon the door, the engaging faces of said members being plane surfaces and being undercut in 'such manner that withdrawal of the pivoted locking member from the fixed locking member will necessitate a slight closing movement of the door.

6. A railway car having a door, a stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door, the same being of channel section with return flanges formed along the edges of the main flanges thereof, said return flanges being disposed against the face of the door and with securing rivets passing therethrough, a

of the door, said latch pivoted upon the exterior of said stiffening member and constituting an extension thereof, a fixed hook secured to the car body adjacent the end of said stiffening member and adapted for supporting engagement with said latch, and a member secured to said stiffening member adapted to form a housing for the pivot end of the latch.

7. A railway c'ar' having a discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing said opening, a flanged stiffening member attached to the outer face of the door and terminating adjacent an edge of the latter, said stiffening member having a fiat outer face lying substantially parallel with the plane of the door and spaced therefrom, a bracket secured to the stiffening member and forming a housing therewith, a latch pivotally mounted in the housing and arranged to swing in a plane parallel with the plane latch being arranged to lie against and to be supported by the said outer flat face of-the stiffening member, and a hook affixed to the car body for engagement with the said pivoted latch to maintain the door in closed position.

8. A railway car having a discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing said opening, a flanged stiffening member attached to the outer face of the door and terminating adjacent an edge of the latter, said stiffening member having a flat outer face lying substantially parallel with the plane of the door and spaced therefrom, a bracket secured to the stiffening member and forming a housing therewith, said housing having a wall arranged substantially parallel with the said fiat outer face of the stiffening member and spaced therefrom, a door-supporting latch pivotally mounted in the housing and arranged to lie against and to be supported by the outer face of the stiffening member and to swing in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the door, the latch pivot having support at one end in the bracket and at the other end in the outermost wall of the stiffening member, and a shouldered hook affixed to the car body for engagement with the said pivoted latch to maintain the door in closed position.

9. A railway car having a discharge opening. a door hinged to the car body for closing said opening, a stiffening member of modified channel cross section affixed to the outer face of the door comprising a web lying in a plane substantially parallel to and spaced outwardly from the door, said web terminating in lateral. main flanges arranged substantially nora inal to the door. and said main flanges termi nating in lateral secondary flanges parallelwith and secured to the door, a bracket secured to the stiffener having a portion lying in a plane substantially parallel to and spaced outwardly from the web of the stiffener, said portion terminating in lateral flanges rewardly beyond the stiffener and the side of the car, the latch pivot being supported by I the web of the stiffener and the said portion of the bracket, and a to support the door in shouldered hook affixed to the car body for engagement with the latch to support the door in closed position.

.10. A railway'car having a discharge opening a door hinged to the car body, for closing. said-opening, a stiffener secured to the door having a face spaced outwardly therefrom, a latch pivotally mounted upon said face, and a hook affixed to the car body for engagement with the latch to support the door in closed position, said latch and hook being formed and associated in a manner so that the door may be maintained in a plurality of positions of closure, the said face of the stiffener and a portion of the door formin means for receiving a removable lever where y the door may be moved from one position of closure to another.

11. A railway car having a discharge opening. a door hinged to the car bod for closing said opening, a stiffener secured to the door having a face spaced outwardly therefrom, a hook affixed to the car body adjacent the end of the stiffener, and a latch pivotally mounted on the stiffener for engagement with the hook closed position, said latch and hook being formed and associated in a manner so that the door may be supported in a plurality of positions of closure, the portion of the hook immediately adjacent the end of the stiffener being formed so as to per mit the insertion of a removable lever between the outer face of the stiffener and the door for. moving the latter from one position of closure to another.

12. A railway car having a lading discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing the opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, a flanged stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door in substantial parallelism with the hinge axis thereof, said stiffening member terminating adjacent an edge of the door and being integrally formed with a portion spaced outwardly from the main body portion of the door in a plane substantially parallel thereto, a shouldered hook affixed to the car body, a latch pivotally mounted on the said outwardly spaced portion of the stiffening member for cooperatin with the hook to support the door in closed position, and means pivotally connecting the latch to the stiffener, said latch being. arranged to be supported by the outwardly spaced portion of the stiffener and being operable in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the door.

13. A railway car having alading discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing the opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, a flanged stiffening member secured to the outer face of the .door, said stiffening member having substantially parallel portions, one of said portions being secured to the outer face of the door and the other bein spaced outwardly therefrom, a shouldered hook affixed to the car body, and a latch pivotally connected to said last-named portion of the stiffening member in overlapping relation to its outer face, said latch being movable in a lane substantially parallel with the plane 0 the door for cooperating with the hook to support the door in closed position. v

14. A closure device for the lading discharge openings of a railway car having hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the car center sill, said device, involving two metal plates constituting doors, a flanged stiffening member secured to the outer faces of said plates and terminating adjacent the respective outer edges thereof, said stiffening member having an integral continuously extending portion spaced outwardly from the plates in a plane substantially parallel thereto, and latches respectively pivotally connected to said stiffening member adjacent itsopposite ends for cooperating with shouldered members carried by the car to support the device in operative position, said latches being respectively arranged to be supported the said outwardly s )aced portion of the sti ener and being opera le'in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the metal plates.

15. A closure device for the lading discharge openings of a railway car having hoppers disposed on'opposite sides of the car center sill, said device involving two metal plates constituting doors, a flanged stiffening member secured to the outer face of said plates and terminating adjacent the respective outer edges thereof, said stiffening member having substantially parallel portions, one being secured to the outer face of the plates and the other being spaced outwardly therefrom, and latches respectively pivotally connected to said stiffening member adjacent its opposite ends for cooperating with shouldered members carried by the car to support the device in operative position, said latches respectively overlappingly engaging the outer face of the said outwardly spaced portion of the stiffener and being operable in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the metal plates.

16. A railway car having 'a lading discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing the opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity. a flanged stiffening member outwardl from the latter, a bracket secured to the sti ener independently of the door and having a portion overlapping said outwardly spaced portion of the stifiener, a latch pivotally interposed between the latter and the bracket, said latch being arranged to lie against and be supported by the outwardly spaced portion of the stiffener, and a shouldered hook afiixed to the car body for cooperating With the latch to maintain the door in closed position.

17. In a railway car having hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the car center sill, the combination with hinged doors for respectively closing the discharge openings of the hoppers, of a beam rigidly secured to each of said doors having a portion spaced outwardly from the latter, latch members respectively pivotally connected to said beam adjacent its opposite ends in overlapping relation to the outwardly spaced portion thereof, and shouldered hooks affixed to the car body adjacent the ends of said beam for cooperating with the latches to support the doors in closed position.

18. In a railway car, a hingedly mounted door, a stiffener of channel form extending transversely of the door and secured to the outer face thereof, a bracket overlappingly embracing said stiffener, a latch pivotally interposed between the bracket and stiffener and projecting beyond a side edge of the door, and a fixed hook secured to the side of the car for cooperating with the latch to maintain the door in closed position.

- 19. A door mechanism for railway cars of the type having doors movable to open position under the influence of gravity, said mechanism involving a shouldered hook fixedly mounted upon the car body and a bar latch pivotally mounted upon the door and projecting beyond an edge thereof for cooperating with the shoulder of the hook to support the door in fully closed position, an edge of the outwardly projecting portion of the latch being cut away to provide a face cooperable with the shoulder to support the door in partially closed position.

20. A door mechanism for railway cars of the type having doors movable to open position under the influence of gravity, said mechanism involvin a hook having a shoulder and rigidly mounted upon the car body and a bar latch pivotally mounted upon the door and having a plurality of faces respectively cooperable with the hook to support the door in a partially closed and at fully closed position, the face of the latch for supporting the door in'partially closed position being intermediate the shoulder of the hook and the door when the latter is supported in fully closed position.

21. A door mechanism for railway cars of the type having doors movable to open position under the influence of gravity, sai

mechanism involving a hook having a shoulder and rigidly mounted upon the car body and a bar latch pivotally mounted upon the door and having a plurality of faces respectively cooperable with the hook to support the door in partially closed and in fully closed positions, the face of the latch for supporting the door in partially closed position being spaced inwardly and arranged in overlapping relation to the shoulder of the hook when the door is supported in fully closedposition.

22. In a railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, the

combination with a door hingedly associated with the hopper for closing the opening, of a stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door and having a plurality of angularly disposed portions extending substantially parallel to the hinge axis of the door, a latch pivotally mounted-on said stiffening member in overlapping relation to one of said angularly disposed portions and operable in a plane substantially parallel to that of the door, and a shouldered member rigidly aiiixed to the hopper adjacent an edge of the door, said latch and shouldered member being cooperable to support the door in closed position, and the portion of said stiffening member overlapped by the latch serving as a supporting abutment for the latch when the latter is in door-supporting engagement with said shouldered member.

A railway car having a lading discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing the opening, said door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, a stiti'ening member secured to the door in substantial parallelism with the hinge axis thereof and extending outwardly from the outer face of the door, said stiffening member being flanged to provide means for attaching it to the door, a shouldered member afiixed to the car body adjacent an edge of the door, and a pivoted latch forcooperating with said shouldered member to support the door in closed position, said stiffening member being interposed between the door and the latch and having a face substantially parallel to the plane of operation of said latch forming an abutment for the latch when the latter is in door-supporting engagement with said shouldered member.

24. In a railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, the combination with a door hingedly associated with the hopper for closing the opening, of a stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door and larly disposed portions extending substantially parallel with the hinge axis of the door, a pivoted latch overlapping one of said angularly disposed portions of the stiffening member, a bracket rigidly secured to another d of said angularly disposed portions and overhaving a plurality of angulapping the outer face of the latch, said bracket and the angularly disposed portion overlapped by the latch constituting pivot supporting means for the latch, and a shouldered member rigidly aflixed to the hopper adjacent the edge of the door, said latch and shouldered member being cooperable to support the door in closed position, and the said angularly disposed portion which is overlapped by the latch affording a supporting abutment for the latch when the latter is in door-supporting engagement with said shouldered'member.

25. A railway car having a lading discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a stiffening beam mounted upon the outer face ofthe door and terminatingadjacent a side edge thereof, said beam being of channel cross section with outwardly and opposite extending marginal flanges formed along the edges of the main flanges of the channel, saidmarginal flanges being secured to the outer face of the door and the web of the channel being parallel with and spaced outwardly from the door, a shouldered member affixed to the side of the car outwardly of the end of the stiffening beam, a pivoted latch engaging the outer face of the Web of the stiffening beam and adapted to cooperate with said shouldered member to support the door in closed position, and means for pivoting the said latch to the stiffening beam, said means including a bracket having a portion arranged in a plane parallel to said web and spaced outwardly therefrom in overlapping relation to said pivoted latch, and said bracket also having a portion secured to one of the main flanges of said stiffening beam.

26. A railway car having a lading discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a stiffening beam mounted upon the outer face of the door and terminating-adjacent a side edge thereof, said beam being of channel shape and havingmarginal' flanges extending in opposite directions from the edges of. the main flanges thereof, said marginal flanges lying against and being secured to the door and the Web of the channel being parallel with and spaced outwardly from the door, a latch pivotally connected to the stiffening beam and overlapping engaging the outer face of the web of the latter and having its free end extending outwardly beyond the end of the beam, a shouldered member aifixed to the car side for cooperating with the free end of the latch to support the door in closed position, and means for pivoting the latch to said stiffening beam, said means including a bracket having portions respectively secured to the main flanges of the channel and a portion parallel to and spaced outwardly from the web of the latter in overlapping relation to the outer face of said latch.

In test i-mony whereof I afiix my signature.

BY'ERS W. KADEL.

DISCLAIMER 1,7 43,144.B'yers W. Kadel, Baltimore, Md. RAILWAY CAR. Patent dated January 14, 1930. Disclaimer filed August 22, 1935, by the assignee, Wine Railway Appliance Company.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to that part of the thing patented which is claimed in said patent in the following words, to wit:

3. A railway car having a door, a stiffening member secured to said door, the same being of channel or U-shape in cross section, a latch pivotally associated with said stiffening member, a ledge formed on the car body adapted for supporting co-operation with said latch, the latch being arranged to lie with one face against the web portion of said channel section and to operate in a plane parallel with said web portion.

6. A railway car having a door, a stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door, the same being of channel section with return flanges formed along the edges of the main flanges thereof, said return flanges being disposed against the face of the door and with securing rivets passing therethrough, a latch pivoted upon the exterior of said stiffening member and constituting an extension thereof, a fixed hook secured to the car body adjacent the end of said stiffening member and adapted for supporting engagement with said latch, and a member secured to said stiffening member adapted to form a housing for the pivot and of the latch.

7. A railway car having a discharge opening, adoor hinged to the car body for closing said opening, a flanged stiffening member attached to the outer face of the door and terminating adjacent an edge of the latter, said stiffening member having a flat outer face lying substantially parallel with the plane of the door and spaced therefrom, a bracket secured to the stiffening member and forming a houslng therewith, a latch pivotally mounted in the housing and arranged to swing in a plane parallel with the plane of the door, said latch being arranged to lie against and to be supported by the said outer flat face of the stiffening member, and a hook affixed to the car body for engagement with the said pivoted latch to maintain the door in closed position.

8. A railway car having a discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing said opening, a flanged stiffening member attached to the outer face of the door and terminating adjacent an edge of the latter, said stiffening member having a flat outer face lying substantially parallel with the plane of the door and spaced therefrom, a bracket secured to the stiffening member and forming a housing therewith, said housing having a wall arranged substantially parallel with the said flat outer face of the stiffening member and spaced therefrom, a door-supporting latch pivotally mounted in the housing and arranged to lie against and to be supported by the outer face of the stiffening member and to swing in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the door, the latch pivot having support at one end in the bracket and at the other end in the outermost wall of the stiffening member, and a shouldered hook aflixed to the car body for engagement with the said pivoted latch to maintain the door in closed position.

9. A railway car having a discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing said opening, a stiffening member of modified channel cross section affixed to the outer face of the door comprising a web lying in a plane substantially parallel to and spaced outwardly from the door, said web terminating in lateral main flanges arranged substantially normal to the door, and said main flanges terminating in lateral secondary flanges parallel with and secured to the door, a bracket secured to the stifiener having a portion lying in a plane substantially parallel to and spaced outwardly from the web of the stiffener, said portion terminating in lateral flanges respectively secured to the main flanges of the stiffener, a pivoted latch mounted within the housing formed by the bracket and stiffener and arranged to lie against the outer face of the web of the latter, said latch extending outwardly beyond the stiffener and the side of the car, the latch pivot being supported by the web of the stiffener and the said portion of the bracket, and a shouldered hook affixed to the car body for engagement with the latch to support the door in closed position.

12. A railway car having a lading discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing the opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, a flanged stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door in substantial parallelism with the hinge axis thereof, said stiffening member terminating adjacent an edge of the door and being integrally formed with a portion spaced outwardly from the main body portion of the door in a plane substantially parallel thereto, a shouldered hook affixed to the car body, a latch pivotally mounted on the said outwardly spaced portion of the stiffening member for cooperating with the hook to support the door in closed position, and means pivotally connecting the latch to the stiffener, said latch being arranged to be supported by the outwardly spaced portion of the stiffener and being operable in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the door.

13. A railway car having a lading discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing the opening, the door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, a flanged stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door, said stiffening member having substantially parallel portions, one of said portions being secured to the outer face of the door and the other being spaced outwardly therefrom, a shouldered hook affixed to the car body, and a latch pivotally connected to said last-named portion of the stiffening member in overlapping relation to its outer face, said latch being movable in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the door for cooperating with the hook to support the door in closed position.

14. A closure device for the lading discharge openings of a railway car having hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the car center sill, said device involving two metal plates constituting doors, a flanged stiffening member secured to the outer faces of said plates and terminating adjacent the respective outer edges thereof, said stiffening member having an integral continuou sly extending portion spaced outwardly from the plates in a plane substantially parallel thereto, and latches respectively pivotally connected to said stiflening member adjacent its opposite ends for cooperating with shouldered members carried by the car to support the device in operative position, said latches being respectively arranged to be supported by the said outwardly spaced portion of the stiffener and being operable in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the metal plates.

15. A closure device for the lading discharge openings of a railway car having hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the car center sill, said device involving two metal plates constituting doors, a flanged stiffening member secured to the outer face of said plates and terminating adjacent the respective outer edges thereof, said stiffening member having substantially parallel portions, one being secured to the outer face of the plates and the other being spaced outwardly therefrom, and latches respectively pivotally connected to said stiffening member adjacent its opposite ends for cooperating with shouldered members carried by the car to support the device in operative position, said latches respectively overlappingly engaging the outer face of the said outwardly spaced portion of the stiffener and being operable in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the metal plates.

17. In a railway ear having hoppers disposed on opposite sides of the car center sill, the combination with hinged doors for respectively closing the discharge openings of the hoppers, of a beam rigidly secured to each of said doors having a portion spaced outwardly from the latter, latch members respectively pivotally connected to said beam adjacent its opposite ends in overlapping relation to the outwardly spaced portion thereof, and shouldered hooks affixed to the car body adjacent the ends of said beam for cooperating with the latches to support the doors in closed position.

18. In a railway car, a hingedly mounted door, a stifiener of channel form extending transversely of the door and securedto the outer face thereof, a bracket overlappingly embracing said stiffener, a latch pivotally interposed between the bracket and stiffener and projecting beyond a side edge of the door, and a fixed hook secured to the side of the car for cooperating with the latch to maintain the door in closed position.

22. In a railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, the combination with a door hingedly associated with the hopper for closing the opening, of a stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door and having a plurality of angularly disposed portions extending substantially parallel to the hinge axis of the door, a latch pivotally mounted on said stiffening member in overlapping relation to one of said angularly disposed portions and operable in a plane substantially parallel to that of the door, and a shouldered member rigidly affixed to the hopper adjacent an edge of the door, said latch and shouldered member being cooperable to support the door in closed position, and the portion of said stiffening member overlapped by the latch serving as a supporting abutment for the latch when the latter is in door-supporting engagement with said shouldered member.

23. A railway car having a lading-discharge opening, a door hinged to the car body for closing the opening, said door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, a stiffening member secured to the door in substantial parallelism with the hinge axis thereof and extending outwardly from the outer face of the door, said stiffening member being flanged to provide means for attaching it to the door, a shouldered member affixed to the car body adjacent an edge of the door, and a pivoted latch for cooperating with said shouldered member to support the door in closed position, said stiffening member being interposed between the door and the latch and having a face substantially parallel to the plane of operation of said latch forming an abutment for the latch when the latter is in door-supporting engagement with said shouldered member.

24. In a railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, the combination with a door hingedly associated with the hopper for closing the opening, of a stiffening member secured to the outer face of the door and having a plurality of angularly disposed portions extending substantially parallel with the hinge axis of the door, a pivoted latch overlapping one of said angularly disposed portions of the stiffening member, a bracket rigidly secured to another of said angularly disposed portions and overlapping the outer face of the latch, said bracket and the angularly disposed portion overlapped by the latch constituting pivot supporting means for the latch, and a shouldered member rigidly affixed to the hopper adjacent the edge of the door, said latch andshouldered member being cooperable to support the door in closed position, and the said angularly disposed portion which is overlapped by the latch affording a supporting abutment for the latch when the latter is in doorsupporting engagement with said shouldered member.

25. A railway car having a lading discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a stiffening beam mounted upon the outer face of the door and terminating adjacent a side edge thereof, said beam being of channel cross-section with outwardly and opposite extending marginal flanges formed along the edges of the main flanges of the channel, said marginal flanges being secured to the outer face of the door and the web of the channel being parallel with and spaced outwardly from the door, a shouldered member affixed to the side of the car outwardly of the end of the stiffening beam, a pivoted latch. engaging the outer face of the web of the stiffening beam and adapted to cooperate with said shouldered member to support the door in closed position, and means for pivoting the said latch to the stiffening beam, said means including a bracket having a portion arranged in a plane parallel to said web and spaced outwardly therefrom in overlapping relation to said pivoted latch, and said bracket also having a portion secured to one of the main flanges of said stiffening beam.

26. A railway car having a lading discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a stiffening beam mounted upon the outer face of the door and terminating adjacent a side edge thereof, said beam being of channel shape and having marginal flanges extending in opposite directions from the edges of the main flanges thereof, said marginal flanges lying against and being secured to the door and the web of the channel being parallel with and spaced outwardly from the door, a latch pivotally connected to the stiffening beam and overlapping engaging the outer face of the web of the latter and having its free end extending outwardly beyond the end of the beam, a shouldered member affixed to the car side for cooperating with the free end of the latch to support the door in closed position, and means for pivoting the latch to said stiffening beam, said means including a bracket having portions respectively secured to the main flanges of the channel and a portion parallel to and spaced outwardly from the Web of the latter in overlapping relation to the outer face of said latc [Oficial Gazette September 1'7, 1.935.] 

